


A Spell beside the Sea

by Sapphomet (Cassplay)



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/F, Understanding, fairground date, patience - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-18 12:33:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21610954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cassplay/pseuds/Sapphomet
Summary: A Young Witch wants to help the woman she’s dating open up to her.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Female Character
Kudos: 13





	A Spell beside the Sea

“Ginkgo leaves, for mental clarity.” She whispered as she deposited 5 of the fan-shaped leaves into her mortar.

“Aquilegia, Columbine petals, for love and courage.” She said. A flower joined the leaves in the mortar.

“Bergamot leaves, for fragrance, success,” these leaves were added also. “and to honour the goddess.”

Clarice began to crush and grind the soft plants together, their fragrances coalescing and drifting all around her makeshift shrine. From where she kneeled before it, her phone rested open on a page of notes on the ingredients for the spell she was currently weaving. While mixing, she idly looked to her left, she moved the mortar down to allow her legs to keep it in place, allowing her to use the pestle with one hand and with the other pack up her meagre herb boxes. The unused gingko leaves found their own compartment, she could use them next time she had an exam. The bergamot leaves were already in their place, their connection to the goddess a valuable one. Clarice looked at the 4 spare columbine flowers, hopefully if everything went well today, she would not need them; but if it did, she might need them more.

She looked down at the mortar, the spell components now ground into a sort of paste. She lifted the grinding basin back up onto the altar. She grabbed a small spoon and scraped the mixture off of the pestle, and gathered what was in the mortar into a ball. She brought it to her nose. The smell brought a small smile to her face.

She grabbed a small locket from next to the mortar and carefully spooned the crushed leaves into the opening. She flattened it down with the back of the spoon and closed the front, which clicked shut. The fragrance still found its way out of the locket, the door far from airtight. She held it in her hands and looked up at the wooden owl above the altar.

“Goddess, please lend me your ear.” She prayed. “Please grant me the patience, and insight to understand my dear Zandra’s troubled consciousness. Please help her understand that she can let her guard down around me, and that whatever troubles her is easier shouldered together.”

The owl effigy did not respond, Clarice had not expected it to. She knew that her goddess was unlikely to be real, but it helped her spell’s potency when she believed that there was someone out there who might be listening to her. The same she often thought about her spells, they were all focuses for her attention to be drawn to, and remind herself that she, a witch, had cast a spell that allowed her to go above and beyond in courage, understanding, or confidence.

“As you assisted our sisters in the past, I ask that you help me with this.” She said. The decision of who was to be her goddess was a slow one. A misunderstood Goddess, she was often misrepresented by certain male authors, but she and the women she protected became symbols of protection for all women despite this.

Clarice lowered the fragrant locket and tied it around her neck. She touched it and rose from her altar, taking the dirtied mortar and pestle with her. She entered the kitchen and began to wash them. The stone darkening where the water had touched it. She ran a wash cloth around the inside of the bowl and around the pestle, removing the green flecks and washing them down the drain. She left them in the sink and grabbed a towel. She laid it folded on the bench and retrieved the mortar and pestle. She left the upturned mortar on the towel alongside the pestle to dry.

“Men might have seen a woman transformed as a punishment.” Clarice said under her breath, as she headed back to her room. “They would never have seen it as a method of protection.”

Clarice reached her bedroom and set the locket down on a side table and began to change clothes. She pulled on a simple one-piece swimsuit, then layered normal clothes on top of it. A frilly black and white skirt, and light top. An over the shoulder handbag filled with her various accessories, a wide brimmed hat, and bright sunglasses completed the look. She looked at herself in the mirror, making sure she looked her best. She turned slightly, and admired the way her cute butt pushed her skirt out slightly.

She and Zandra had been looking forward to this. The large pier of their coastal town had been transformed the previous night into the annual festival ground. Stalls, games, and unhealthy overpriced food galore. She put the locket back around her neck, and that brought her mind back to the reason for her spell.

She and Zandra hadn’t been dating long, only about 2 months, but she could tell already that they went well together. Clarice had been at work, a coffee place near the seaside, when this beautiful woman walked straight out of the water and into the shop, her dark skin still dripping from the salt water. Before Zandra had even opened her mouth, Clarice had a crush on her. As She begun her order, Zandra had smiled that smile. The one that Clarice now knew was her “this girl’s cute” smile. Eventually Clarice had squeezed all the time she could out of taking her order, and went to make her coffee. Alongside her name and order on the cup, she wrote “Wanna meet sometime I’m not working?” followed by a heart and her phone number. She could still feel the trepidation she had felt then, cradling this bombshell in case she had misread the other woman. When Zandra smiled wider when she took hold of her coffee, she knew she hadn’t, Clarice winked, and the rest was history.

Zandra loved the ocean, and was constantly out on the water collecting samples for a project. Even their dates took place within walking distance of the water. Clarice thought back, there was the arcade, the sports bar, and several others. They were getting closer, a few weeks ago, however, they stopped. Not for lack of trying on Clarice’s part, but she felt that their gradual exchange of thoughts, feelings, and experiences had shifted so that she had done most of the sharing. She knew there was something that Zandra wasn’t telling her, sometimes she seemed to change the subject, seemingly at random. Clarice’s heart ached, she could tell that whatever this was it was tearing Zandra up inside, and it made her feel bad that she couldn’t help. That was why she had made the spell, to try and help Zandra open up, and for her to be understanding. She had wondered often at what it was, each idea more traumatic for someone than the last. This only made her want to help more, no one should have to go through any of those things alone.

Clarice left her apartment after saying goodbye to her flat-mates, and began to walk down to the pier and their prearranged meet-up point. She passed the big supermarket, threatening to swallow the family owned general store across the street. City hall, with various signs tied to the fence for the current (conservative) party, that they swore were vandalism and were getting around to remove. A kid with a thick marker was giving the mayor a make-up job in the style of that band where they paint their faces black and white. It wasn’t Clarice’s sort of music, she had been into alternative before she met Zandra, and she had introduced her to a bunch of 80s bands that totally kicked ass.

She turned the corner onto the street bordering the sea side of the town, she breathed in and smiled, she could smell her spell still over the salty air. She walked past the fish and chip shop, once run by a very horrible woman, she would have hated the new owners; an adorable couple, a butch elf and her femme dwarf wife (not the fantasy kind). Clarice waved to them, and they returned the gesture. She passed some hipster place that had set up to sell an extremely specific single food item, it looked like it was already beginning to shut down. That had to be less than a week this time.

“Perhaps that lot is cursed?” she thought, remembering that the last 3 businesses to move in there hadn’t lasted a year. She shrugged and continued past her workplace, towards the pier.

And there she was, just before the entry gates to the pier showgrounds. Zandra waved to her, and Clarice picked up her walking pace, eager to spend time with her.

“Hi” Clarice said melodiously, slipping into Zandra’s outstretched arms as they met. Zandra reciprocated the embrace and gave Clarice a kiss on the cheek as she pulled out of the hug.

“You look nice.” She said, she sniffed. “Is that orange I smell?”

“it’s Bergamot!” Clarice answered, and held up the locket. “its for a confidence spell.”

“Cool.” Zandra said, and took her hand. “D’you wanna head in?” Clarice nodded eagerly, and they began to move towards the gate. The handholding didn’t last long through, Zandra was much taller than Clarice, and moving was awkward at their different strides with their hands together. But that was okay. They entered the showgrounds together, and a bored looking teller handed them their day passes.

The festival sprawled out before them. Clarice had been saving for these rigged attractions. She lead Zandra over to a square pavilion, in the centre was a large square tray with a number of bottles stuffed into it. The attendant exchanged some money for some plastic rings.

“Here, you go first.” Clarice said, handing a ring to Zandra.

“Are you sure? I’m not a very good shot.” She said sheepishly, but took the ring nonetheless.

“Absolutely, I believe in you.” Clarice said, and nuzzled Zandra’s free arm with her head.

“Alright.” Zandra tossed the ring and predictably it bounced off the neck she had been aiming for and landed between some a few bottles over. “I told you, your turn now.” Clarice threw a ring, and a similar result occurred.

3 tries later and they hadn’t landed a single ring on a bottle.

“At least we’re consistent.” Clarice said, smiling up at Zandra. “Your turn to choose a game now.”

“How about…” Zandra craned her neck to look around above the crowd. “There.” She pointed over to another stall, this one has a back wall covered in gigantic plush toys, and below was a series of clown heads made from fibreglass, rotating back and forth. Their mouths were wide open, and lead down to a pipe below that was rotating with the head. Below the opening of the pipe were several sections something exiting a pipe could land, and each of these were labelled with a different point value.

“Sure.” Clarice said, she smiled at Zandra as the taller girl paid for a go on these clowns. She was given a small container with some Ping-Pong balls inside it. Zandra stared intently at the swinging pipe and held a ball up to the mouth of the clown. It swung back and she pushed the ball in. The pipe rumbled as the ball fell out and landed on the number labelled ‘10’, the second highest one.

“Yay!” Clarice said, and she put a hand around Zandra’s waist, giving her a half-hug in celebration. Zandra did the same, and held up another ball to the clown’s mouth, she waited, and then let it go. It was another ‘10’. Zandra held up the last ball to the clown’s mouth.

“Wait.” Clarice said, and steered Zandra’s hand holding the ball to her mouth, she blew on it softly. “For luck.” Zandra smiled and returned her focus to the clown. She put the ball in.

“15!” Zandra said softly as the ball settled into the top scoring spot. The attendant added the sores up into his head.

“Alright, a thirty-five earns you one from the middle row.” He said pointing. Clarice looked at that row of stuffed animals. There was a cartoonish brown bear, a pink pig, a white unicorn with a rainbow striped mane, and a creature that Clarice didn’t recognise that looked like a wombat with a flattened face.

“Which one do you like, lovely?” Zandra said, and Clarice could have sworn she melted right there. She managed to pull herself together and answer.

“I think we legally have to pick the unicorn,” She pointed to the rainbow maned horse. “like, gay, you know.” Soon enough she was cuddle carrying the stuffed creature, It’s front hooves and head sticking above her crossed arms.

“Thank you.” Clarice said, extending the oo sound in you.

“Anytime.” Zandra said, and leaned down to kiss both Clarice and the unicorn on their foreheads. “Have you got a name for it yet?”

“Hmm.” Clarice wondered, her name searched around Greek mythology for names of horses, but the only ones coming to her were Pegasus, which wouldn’t fit because Pegasus was, well, a Pegasus not a unicorn, and the horses in those stables that Herakles had to clean as one of his labours. “I don’t know, but I’m sure I’ll think up one soon.”

“I’m sure whatever it is will be great.” She said. Zandra’s stomach rumbled. “Shall we grab a locker? So we can put our bags in, so we can go on some rides before lunch?”

“Good idea.” Clarice agreed. “Hopefully we can find one big enough for our new pet.” They started off towards the area where the part of the showgrounds where the rides were set up, fairly certain that there would be lockers to hire near there.

Their guess was correct, and with a little shoving they were able to stuff their prize intone of the lockers with their bags. Having already retrieved some money from their purses, they put those in the locker and strained to close it. They heard the click and looked over at the rides.

“They have a big slide.” Zandra said, pointing over to the large slope.

“Shall we race?” Clarice asked cheekily. “I bet I can beat you to the bottom.”

“Ok. Let’s go.” Zandra grinned.

They paid to hire a pair of hessian sacks and began the long ascent. The slope of the stairs changed suddenly halfway up, and Clarice had to catch Zandra as she took a step weirdly. Neither of them fell over, or injured, so they continued up, stopping and starting as the newest batch of riders were ushered to take their places on the top of the ramp.

“Next four.” The attendant said, and they walked over to the two rightmost sections of the ramp and laid their sacks down. Clarice used an overhead pole to position her into a sitting position on the sack, and Zandra did the same. “Go!”

They pushed off and slid down the metal slide, Clarice felt the hessian under her twisting this way and that as her body pulled it closer to the earth. She looked at Zandra. Happiness seemed to radiate off her, she laughed the most beautiful laugh that Clarice had ever heard, and Clarice knew in that moment that she loved this woman. Her passage down the slide seemed to slow as her brain went into overdrive.

Sure, she had dated before, even had her heart broken. She felt herself begin to think about her latest Ex, but she snapped back to the present. But this felt different, not a bad different, and maybe not a good different, but different from the love she had felt before.

But she also felt guilty, she had made a spell to manipulate Zandra, even if she told herself it was all subconscious encouragement, and even if it was to a noble cause, like wanting her to be able to talk about her trauma, or whatever happened; Manipulating people with magic was still wrong.

A brief thought of hiding this from Zandra flashed into her mind, but she squashed it down quickly. She needed to tell her, even if it meant Zandra left her. A good relationship needed to be built on trust and communication. Part of that meant owning up to when you fail at those. A flicker of hope shot through her mind, if she was honest with Zandra, maybe Zandra will be honest with her. She squashed that too.

“She is suffering from this secret,” she admonished herself internally. “But it’s hers to deal with as she wishes.”

Before she knew it, they were at the bottom of the slide. Clarice was still recovering from her thoughts, so Zandra rose first.

“Do you need a hand?” She asked, extending one down to her. Clarice took it, tears beginning to well in her eyes, the thought that Zandra would break up with her still stinging. “are you okay?”

“I- I- just need to sit down for a second, sorry, I-“ Clarice said. Zandra interrupted her apology for derailing their thrill session.

“It’s ok, I’ve tried all these before anyway.” She said, and shepherded the girl through the crowd. “How about we find a free table near the food? Not too close, though.”

“That- yeah.” Clarice said, and allowed herself to be steered out onto the pier proper where a number of food stalls had been set up. Zandra found them some seats at a table near the end of the pier.

Clarice sat down. She wiped the tears from her eyes. She took the locket with the spell from around her neck and placed it on the table between them.

“I- I need to apologise.” Clarice said. “This spell, that I said was for courage. Well, it wasn’t for me.”

“Then, who was it for?” Zandra said, her face dropping in a way that said she knew the answer. Clarice looked down in shame.

“It was for you,” she admitted. “I l- Like you, but I just felt that there was something between us. So, I made this to help you open up.”

“I-“ Zandra said, but didn’t continue.

“I know it was wrong,” Clarice said. “But I’ve felt so separated from you.” She realised that she had begun to make excuses and immediately pivoted. “I realise now that you have to talk to me at your own pace, and if that means not at all then that should be fine with me.”

Zandra stayed silent.

“I know that this must have hurt you.” She said. “I should have respected your feelings. I’m sorry.” Clarice fell silent, and braced herself for whatever was to come.

“I- I- no.” Zandra stuttered. Her face was some strange mix of shock, sadness, and sorrow.

“No.” Zandra said again, and she stood up from her seat. She looked around frantically, then ran over to the railings of the pier.

“Zandra, No!” Clarice screamed, her voice breaking as she tried to follow the panicked woman over to the railings. Zandra looked back, and before Clarice could get to the railings, Zandra had dived out into the sea.

Clarice met the railings and let out a long shriek of self-loathing. She looked down at the water, her heart sinking. The water began to still, seconds passed. Clarice’s sorrow began to change into fear, had something happened to her? was she ok? Surely, she should have surfaced by now?

She had to do something, the woman she loved could be dying down there. Before she had second thoughts Clarice had crossed the railings and leapt into the water.

She hit the water and continued downwards, her head struck the rock of the pier. She had slowed from the water but the blow hurt. Clarice’s mind began to fog, and the slightly foggy vision began to become even more so. She could tell she was blacking out. Her last thoughts before the darkness claimed her was of self-loathing. That she was a selfish person who didn’t deserve to be loved by a beautiful woman like Zandra.

There was a bright light.

Clarice was there.

She felt calm.

Someone else was there.

A woman, with had short black hair. Wrinkles had begun to crease her eyes, her body beneath a simple grey dress rippled with muscle.

Clarice felt her heart tug, it was her.

Clarice ran to her, her tears falling anew.

She embraced her.

“Why are you crying?” She asked.

“I- I’m not a good person.” Clarice said between sobs. “I betrayed her trust.”

The woman clutched Clarice’s head to her chest, stroking her hair.

“Why?” She asked.

“I wanted-,” Clarice said, then changed her mind. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Does intent not matter?” She asked. “Does your desire to help the woman you love count for nothing at all? Even if it would not erase the bad you had done?”

“I- I don’t want to hurt her again.” Clarice said, and her heart sank. “And I probably never will. She’s gone.”

“Perhaps,” She said. “but do you not love her?”

“Yes, um, no?” Clarice said, unsure how to answer the oddly worded question. “I love her.”

“Does she love you?” She asked.

“I- I don’t know.” Clarice said.

“but you do.” She said. “You are for this world a while yet.”

“I’m alive?” Clarice said, pulling back from her. “but I was under water?”

“And from that we can surmise…” She said.

“Someone has brought me to shore.”

The woman smiled.

“We do not have much time left.” She said, and bent down, pressing her lips to Clarice’s forehead. “Know that I will always be with you, my daughter.”

The lips vanished from her forehead, and a pair appeared on her lips, pushing air into her lungs.

Clarice spluttered, and salty water was expelled from her mouth. She gave a small cough, she felt weak. Her head still throbbed where she had hit it on the rock. A pair of hands lay her on her side, more water left her mouth, and she looked up to her rescuer.

“I’m sorry.” Zandra said. “I shouldn’t have run like that.”

Clarice wrapped her arms around the woman’s waist.

“No. it’s my fault.” Clarice said. “If I hadn’t been so nosy and betrayed your trust- and I shouldn’t have just sprung it on you.”

“It’s ok,” Zandra patted her head. “You were right, I haven’t been open with you.”

“You don’t have to be,” Clarice said, squeezing her tighter. But there was something she had to do, and let her go. Clarice coughed again, and feeling that the water had fully left her, she rolled onto her back, distancing herself from Zandra “I- I understand if you don’t want to be with me again.”

“I-“ Zandra tried to speak. Then lay down next to her. there was a long pause before she spoke again. “I- did consider it, but-“

“But?” Clarice asked softly, she turned to look at Zandra.

“I want to stay.” She said. “and I know that I need to be more open, I want to, but I’m not sure if I can. Not about what you want me to be, at least.” Zandra turned to her.

“Zandra, I promise you,” Clarice said. “Before the Goddess, that I will not do something like that spell ever again.”

Zandra smiled and rolled over onto her. Their arms slid around each other’s waists. Their eyes met, Clarice could feel her heart beating faster, they leaned in.

“Wait,” But Zandra stopped. Clarice’s heart skipped a beat, had she changed her mind? “there is something I want to tell you.”

“You- You don’t need to.” Clarice said.

“I want to.” Zandra stood up. Clarice sat up, and Zandra started to walk back into the ocean. She dived in.

Clarice’s heart sank, Zandra was leaving her. She had to be. The water showed no sign of anything.

Then, from the waves a figure burst.

It was Zandra, but different.

“Come in!” She yelled. Clarice smiled, Zandra hadn’t left her. She stood and charged into the waves. The sight that greeted her was truly fantastical.

Below the waves she could see, or rather, couldn’t see, Zandra’s legs. Where her torso ended skin gave way to scales, and a long, powerful tail.

“You’re a mermaid?!” Clarice whispered. “That’s so cool.”

“Thank you.” Zandra said, she hugged her. “I Don’t know how, I just know that the first time I swam in the sea, I became this. I’m trying to figure it out, I can control it now for the most part.”

Clarice knelt down in the shallow water. Zandra swam up beside her.

“Thank you for trusting me.” Clarice said. “I know that must have been difficult to show me.”

“It’s ok,” Zandra laughed. “Maybe your spell did help me to open up a bit to you after all,”

“Yeah.” Clarice laughed nervously. “I’m so lucky to have you.”

“And I you.”

“I was wondering if, well, if you wanted,” Clarice said, falling over her words a little. “Could I call you my girlfriend?”

“I-, dude, of course.” Zandra said, shaking her head. “I, well, I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve been mentally referring to you as my girlfriend since our first date.”

“Oh, ha ha.” Clarice laughed awkwardly, it did seem now that the first date, once you established a second one, or the second one itself, was a good time to start using the term ‘girlfriend’. Zandra waited a moment.

“So… Do you want to swim?” She asked.

“Uh, no.” Clarice said. “I should probably go get my head looked at. I hit it pretty hard.”

“Oh, yeah.” Zandra looked around, and stood up on human legs.

Clarice stood also.

“Thank you for forgiving me.” Clarice said.

“You don’t need to keep apologising.” Zandra hugged her. “Now we should get you to a doctor.”


End file.
